Sharaa's Islamist group is stamping its authority on Syria's state with the same lightning speed that it seized the country, deploying police, installing an interim government and meeting foreign envoys - raising concerns over how inclusive Damascus' new rulers intend to be.

Syria's brutal civil war rekindled suddenly after 13 years, with rebels staging a shock offensive that forced long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia.

Assad’s control of Syria’s south crumbled on Saturday as rebels seized multiple cities and closed in on Damascus, the capital, posing one of the most acute threats to his rule in 13 years of civil war.